Learning from vernacular buildings : climate responsive design strategies in Yangzi River Delta, China

Vernacular buildings are famous for their climate and site responsive design strategies. In this modern world with highly developed scientific knowledge, we already own a clear understanding of building physics and energy efficient design strategies. There are already lots of generalized observations on vernacular buildings' climate responsive design strategies. However, detailed and reliable measurements and researches on one particular vernacular building really lack, especially vernacular buildings in developing countries. Hui Style Building is a specific building type in the Southeastern China with more than 1000 years' history. This paper focuses on analyzing its design strategies and all the parameters which influence its energy performance and tries to answer this question: what kind of design strategies derived from vernacular buildings in southeastern China, can be used in modern buildings, to promote climate responsive design? A typical residential vernacular house in Xinye Village, Zhejiang, China is chosen as the target house. A three-days field study was conducted to measure this building's microclimate by hobo logger. Professor Yuyu Zhang provided detailed drawings of this house for further analysis. With all those information collected, passive design strategies used in this building were simulated and analyzed by ClimateTool and EnergyPlus. The finding of my research is a thorough report of a typical Hui Style Building. Suggestions of how to combine ancient wisdom with modern building techniques to meet modern living standards were given. The purpose of this thesis is to give contemporary architects guidance and some inspirations for climate responsive design with cultural roots in southeastern China.